A Second Take: A Happier Story for Damon and Elena
by sixseasonsandamovie
Summary: Does the current season leave you dying for a better story for Damon and Elena? Then look no further! This is a series of unconnected one shots that add/alter scenes from TVD episodes to give fans a satisfying Delena plot line that the writers currently aren't willing to provide. Rated T for heated romance.


_A/N: Hey all! After watching 4x7, I was outraged enough that I needed to take action! Elena is with Damon only because she's sired? Give me a break! Following is my take on the episode with an ending that Delena fans can truly appreciate. I've started out by making this fiction rated T so that a wider audience can share in a happier plot line for Damon and Elena, but I can be persuaded to change this depending on the type of readers it attracts. Without further ado, enjoy the story!_

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"No Care, I'm fine," Elena sighed as she flopped on her bed. Cradling her cell against her shoulder, she tugged off her heels and flung them across the room.

"As if I can't smell that lie a mile away," Caroline's voice intoned through the receiver. "Elena, your brother tried to kill you. And I…. I made everything worse. I'm sorry about today."

Elena ran her fingers through her hair and tugged apart her up-do. "Thanks. You're my best friend, and I know you're only worried because you care. But really, I promise you, I'm okay. I'm just worried about Jer."

"I know," Caroline soothed. "But Matt's looking after him. Matt's house has been empty long enough, I'm sure he could use a roommate. And they can share male bonding time by seeing who can burp louder, or whatever disgusting things guys do when they're alone…"

Elena chuckled. "Ah, Care, only you could make me laugh at a time like this." She stood up and rummaged through her closet for jeans and a simple shirt after being confined in her dress all day.

Caroline's smile was nearly audible over the line. "That's what friends are for! And I'm not letting that change now that you're a vampire."

Elena tugged a shirt over her head and sighed. "Well, you could start by trying to accept my choices."

"But Elena, this is _Damon_ we're talking about. Rip out your heart and do it with a smirk, womanizing, cold-blooded monster Damon. I just don't get it."

"There's a lot to him that you don't know about, Care," Elena said firmly.

"Well, then enlighten me!"

Elena sighed and took a seat by her windowsill. "When I turned, I got some memories back."

"Wait, you mean he _compelled_ you?" Caroline screeched.

"It's not like that! He…" Elena paused, trying to find the words that would unlock the tangled feelings in her heart. "I met him almost two years ago. That night that I broke up with Matt… The night my parents died."

"What? How is that even possible?"

Elena stared out into the moonlit night. "That night, I saw him in the middle of the road. He thought I was Katherine." Elena took a breath. "But even when he realized I wasn't, he was kind, and charming. Yeah, he compelled me to forget that night, but he compelled me to find happiness."

"What?" Caroline's voice was softer now, incredulous more than outraged.

"And it's not just that," Elena continued. "He told me he loved me. He said that he loved me, but that he didn't deserve me. And he compelled me so that I wouldn't know, because he knew I should be with Stefan, and…" Elena felt tears welling up in her eyes. Damon had loved her for so long and had been trying to make her happy since the day they'd met.

"Elena, I… I didn't know…"

"I know, Care." Elena wiped her eyes and rested her head against the cool glass of her windowpane. "I didn't know either, until recently. And for the past two years, I've started to see that side of him, even without these memories. I've seen how sweet he can be, and that everything he does, he does for me. I've tried so hard to fight it, but I just can't anymore. I need to give in to this, I need to know what it's like."

"And you're sure this is what you want?"

"Absolutely." Amidst the tornado of events plaguing her life lately, this was the one thing Elena could be sure of. "With my whole heart."

Caroline took a deep breath on her end of the line. "Well, then what kind of friend would I be to stand in your way?" The strain was evident in Caroline's voice, but she went on. "I can't say that I'm completely comfortable with this idea, but I want you to be happy, and you know that. If you need to follow your heart, then I'll be here for you, no matter which way it leads."

Through the reflection in the pane of glass, Elena saw a familiar dark-haired figure enter her doorway. "Thanks Care," Elena said, turning to face the man in her room. "I have to go."

Elena took a big breath and straightened her hair nervously. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked.

Damon strode forward into the room, coming to sit on the windowsill next to Elena. His ice blue eyes danced playfully over her face. "You thought I was charming, huh?" A smirk lit up his face that made Elena's heart race.

Elena chuckled as a blush crept across her cheeks. "I did." She admitted. "I do." She locked eyes with him, unable to turn away from the magnetic force pulling her closer to him with every passing second.

"I meant what I said, that night." Damon's eyes searched her face, burning with ice cold intensity. "I love you, Elena."

She reached out and found his hand, lacing her fingers with his. "I love you, too." Her doe eyes met his, filled with an equal passion. "And I have, for such a long time. I mean, last year, when we danced at the pageant… I think I knew even then. And today… I really wanted to dance with you."

Damon stepped off the windowsill and tugged Elena to her feet. Keeping their fingers laced and wrapping one hand around her waist, he pulled her close until their faces were only inches apart. "You mean like this?" he breathed.

Elena smiled and swayed in time to the rhythm of their hearts. She leaned closer to Damon, at once desperate to feel his touch and unable to believe in the reality of this moment. He moved his hand slowly up her back as though his fingertips were savoring every ounce of her flesh. Elena felt her breathing increase as she leaned her head against Damon's. Her whole body was burning up, but every part where their skin touched was an intense flame.

With a light shove, Damon pushed her gracefully into a spin. In the next moment, he pulled her back, landing his lips on hers with a fiery embrace. Both groaned and pulled the other closer. Hands and lips sought constant contact with the other's skin, hungry for the feeling they had been denied for so long.

Elena threw Damon on her bed with every ounce of her newfound strength. Her body was alive with an all-consuming hunger, one that demanded she connect herself with him in the deepest way possible. She rushed to him, seeking out his lips in another heated embrace. "I love you," she whispered. Damon stared back at her with eyes that contained an endless depth of emotion. "I love you, too" he whispered as they fell into a tangle of bodies that brought them together into perfect bliss.

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_A/N: And THAT is how the episode should have ended. None of this sire business! I hope you enjoyed the story and got a little more fulfillment than the episode provided. Please let me know what you think, and I may add my own twist to other episodes to give Damon and Elena the romance they deserve. Thanks for reading!_


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